1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bag system including an air bag that can cover a front surface side of an area of a front pillar of a vehicle that extends from a proximal portion at a lower end side towards a distal end of the front pillar.
2. Background of the Invention
Conventionally, there have been air bag systems in which an air bag is inflated so as to cover a front surface side of a front pillar of a vehicle in order to prevent a pedestrian from being brought into direct forcible collision with the front pillar when the vehicle hits the pedestrian (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
In this conventional air bag system, the air bag is folded to be stored in an area on a front side of an outside rearview mirror installed on a front side door of the vehicle and is designed to cover a front surface side of an area of the front pillar which extends from a proximal portion at a lower end side which lies in proximity to the outside rearview mirror towards a distal end of the front pillar when the air bag has completed its inflation. Specifically speaking, in the conventional air bag systems, the air bag has a long pillar covering portion (lower end) which covers the front surface side of an area of the front pillar which extends from the proximal portion (lower end) to a position lying in proximity to a vertical center of the front pillar and a inflatable supporting portion which is disposed to project from a position lying in proximity to a vertical center of the pillar covering portion and is interposed between the pillar covering portion and the outside rearview mirror to thereby be supported on the outside rearview mirror. The pillar covering portion is allowed to be supported by the inflatable supporting portion which is supported on an inner surface of the outside rearview mirror, whereby a lateral shift of the pillar covering portion towards a vehicle's outer side is prevented when receiving the pedestrian at the time the air bag has completed its inflation.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2009-6957
In the air bag of the conventional air bag system, however, the inflatable supporting portion is made to project partially from the position lying in proximity to the vertical center of the pillar covering portion towards the outside rearview mirror side and is supported the inner surface of the outside rearview mirror. Therefore, the shifting of the pillar covering portion occurring at the time of completion of the air bag's inflation can be suppressed. However, when the pedestrian pushes strongly the pillar covering portion towards the vehicle's outer side, the inflatable supporting portion is dislocated from the inner surface of the outside rearview mirror, leading to a fear that the inflatable supporting portion slides over an upper surface of the outside rearview mirror. Thus, there has still been room for improving in suppressing properly the lateral deflection of the pillar covering portion from the front pillar.